Altar Servers are male or female members of the congregation who assist the priest and deacons in the celebration of the Mass and other liturgical ceremonies, so that the liturgies can be conducted with grace and reverence. Altar Servers are full and active participants in the Eucharist and have the added responsibility of being leaders of the assembly. During the Liturgy, the altar server models the activity of the congregation by singing, praying, maintaining silence at the appropriate time to enhance the worship of the congregation. In general then, the role of the altar server is to help and pray.
To serve at the Altar of God is a privilege granted to boys, girls, men, or women. To be an altar server at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Parish, one must be at least entering 4th grade.
This is a ministry that you perform for the Church. It is part and parcel with the stewardship of all God has given you and involves the return of your time and talent. As such, your ministry should be a priority in your life. You should be dedicated to your ministry, arrive on time for your scheduled Masses, and perform to the very best of your ability.
The Church is an area of quiet and prayer. Once inside the actual Church, and especially in the Sanctuary, be quiet and prayerful. There should be no conversations except those directly relating to the celebration of the Mass or prayer.
Whenever you are in the Sanctuary, if you are seated, your hands should be folded in your lap, feet flat on the floor. When standing, unless you are holding something, your hands should be folded as in prayer.
If during Mass, you feel ill, quietly move off of the Altar and into the sacristy. Do not move around in your chair, fidgit, talk, etc. while in the Sanctuary. The whole congregation can see you, and it is a distraction that takes away from the Mass.
In general, the altar servers should sit and rise together, avoid excessively crossing before the Alter, and when you do cross before the Altar, bow towards the Tabernacle as a sign of respect for Christ.
While in the Sanctuary, the lead servers are in charge of making sure the other servers fulfill their roles.